


Without a Shadow of a Doubt

by Entomolojest



Category: Sonic the Hedgehog (IDW Comics), Sonic the Hedgehog - All Media Types
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Bittersweet, Growing Up, Hurt/Comfort, Parenthood, Slice of Life, Takes place before and after the Resistance defeats Eggman, Uses IDW canon, mentions of death and trauma
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-20
Updated: 2020-04-21
Packaged: 2021-03-01 17:01:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,889
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23750479
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Entomolojest/pseuds/Entomolojest
Summary: After Sonic's defeat at the hands of Infinite, Tails fell off the deep end. Without the Resistance to stop him, he retreated into his laboratory and, after months of deliberation and grief, began chipping away at a bio-weapon named Project Blue. Little did he know, Sonic was still alive and well: and with no need for Project Blue, and facing the consequences of his actions, Tails fled to rejoin the Rebellion.Shadow the Hedgehog, the Ultimate Lifeform, caught wind of his project. This is the story of Blue and Shadow, the unlikely father of an abandoned lab rat, who learns to love again.
Comments: 3
Kudos: 10





	1. The Basement | Doom and Gloom

**Author's Note:**

> NOTE: I'm literally only posting chapter one because it's 4/20/20 and I do NOT want to miss that upload date. As of writing this note, I have not officially edited anything. I plan on having my friends/beta readers comb through it with me later! 
> 
> Chapter two is in the works, and is nearly complete! For some reason, a part of me wanted to wait until I finished all four chapters before I posted. Not sure why. 
> 
> Please enjoy and let me know what you think!

Sonic was dead. 

It had been six months, ten days and eight hours since Tails watched him fall. The memory was foggy as it was cruelly clear. 

Waves slapped the rocks on Mystic Ruin's shore, spraying salt into Tails’s red-rimmed eyes. He could hear Sonic drop, limp, in the slosh of the water, and his final gasp in the watermill's creaky hinges. Tails’s old laboratory served as a solitude, where he brooded and paced and clung to the frigid, ocean-slick rails of his balcony, motionless. 

He blamed himself. He was the one who sent the distress signal. Tails thumbed over a groove in the rail, letting it prick his flesh. When Sonic needed him, he'd been there to lift him up, but Tails couldn't when it counted the most: Life or death. He froze, he panicked, he fled. Blood curdled his stomach quicker than any poison. 

There was so much blood.

Tails averted his gaze from the growing red storm on the horizon. Red was a sensitive color he failed to reclaim from Infinite, and any creeping crimson in his view made his anxiety spike. He had distractions in his laboratory to attend to, anyway. 

He shouldered into his room from the balcony, which was dusty and littered with Sonic paraphernalia. He soldier marched down the old wooden steps. His namesake tails dragged lifelessly behind him; now, he was just Miles. 

The ground floor wasn't cleaner or close to well kept. What was once a proud renovation was stage to a depressive fit. Marble counter-tops were crowded and stained; wrappers, half eaten food and a hard-as-nails bread loaf. Tails hopped over empty microwave meal tins, and spared a glance at the putrid mold colonies breeding in the sink. He'd get to the dishes eventually. Today, he wrestled the last juice pouch out of its box and slumped to the basement door. 

The metal knob was always cold-- it didn't matter if Tails had lit a fire beneath it. He thought it poetic, as there was no warmth in what he was experimenting with. The stairway lead into the depths, a green glow gaping at the bottom. Project Blue was almost ready. Tails wondered if Sonic would approve, or anyone for that matter... it was a delicate operation he vowed to keep under wraps until absolutely, positively sure of its use to the Resistance.

His laboratory was a frantic farrago of papers, parts and blinking monitors. One main screen dominated the room and hung over his desk. There was a path carved in the junk leading to his rolling chair, where he sat and placed the juice next to the parade of empty bottles. An old fashioned keyboard and mouse was hooked into the display. On it, sketches and formulas for an artificial humanoid covered Sonic's face on his background. The scans were upwards sixty years, baring vague resemblance to the final Shadow. 

Behind him, a tube filled with sinister green liquid engulfed a dark silhouette. It was small and curled in the fetal position, a thin tail held in its claws. Project Blue. No complex robotics could defeat Dr. Eggman's rapidly expanding empire: They needed something organic, someone who was made and fine tuned for the job. 

Taking inspiration from Shadow, Project Blue could teleport...  _ theoretically _ . Imbued with the power of a chaos emerald and one of Sonic's quills, Tails used a young lab rat as a base. The most curious thing about artificial life was the fur changing factors: Shadow was red and black from the emerald, not the Doctor's design. 

Tails rose and stepped over the thick coils of wire supporting Project Blue's tank. He put a hand on the glass. Project Blue’s pale gray stomach rose and fell as they breathed the liquid, so new and wet. They weren't blue at all, but rather the color of a gloomy, overcast sky. 

"Hey little buddy," Tails began, his voice cracked like plaster. "I hope you're doing well. I uh... I can't wait to meet you." 

Project Blue remained motionless. The monitors rang in Tails's ears. 

"It-it gets kinda lonely down here, so." Tails said. He bit his lip and sighed, letting his hand fall lifeless as Blue by his side. He almost laughed at the improbability of it all. Him, the squeamish sidekick Tails, making a monstrosity against nature in his basement, far from society. Worst of all, he was talking to it!

Ugly tears mangled his fur as he hiccuped, and everything blurred. Tails braced himself against the tube, pressed his forehead on the glass and wailed. He coughed and spat, chest heaving as he finally burst. The sound was horrid: It drowned out the ambiance and put the world on mute. 

Tails wrenched his head up to glare at his stillborn Blue. He was furious, and it was unfair for both of them. He punched the glass twice, getting hotter still when they only jiggled in the liquid. 

An eye audibly peeled open, half-lidded and red. It moved sluggishly to examine its surroundings, as though it hadn't realized it had other extremities yet. Tails gaped and blinked away the stinging tears that tangled his muzzle. 

Project Blue was watching him. Its eyes dilated as it slowly, visibly discovered it was alive. Like a newborn, Blue began to whimper. The liquid bubbled as it tried to breathe and found its lungs full. It shakily put its hand over Tails's, feet kicking feebly. 

Tails stepped back, looking at his hand, then back to the sentient and squirming life he'd created. His chest welled with new paternity, with hope. Project Blue was a success! 

"You-- you're alive! I did it! I did it!" Tails said, pumping his in the air. His tails spun and lifted him back to his desk. He careened into his chair and typed like a madman. 

"Hold on, I'm getting you out!"

He hit the enter key and watched with glee as the liquid drained, coloring the pipes a faint green. Project Blue's first gulp of air came as a whooping cough, regurgitating the foul, syrupy solution. They splashed and flailed, their fur matted and slicked in clumps. They felt solid ground and sank to their knees, surrounded by the residue of their pseudo-womb. Project Blue grasped their tail awkwardly, and sneezed a chunk of the solidifying goop out. 

At last, the glass tube bloomed outward like a rose, and exposed them to the cold draft of reality. 

Tails rushed to their side, starling them into a cower.

"H-Hey! Don't worry, you don't have to be afraid! My, my name is T-" Tails paused, and shook his head. He held out his hand. "My name is Miles." 

Project Blue shrank away. They were shivering and soaked, their fur more black than grey. Tails realized how small and frail they were; an ink blot on the floor, no taller than his knees. 

"Can you... speak?" he asked. 

Nothing. 

Tails's smile waned. He lowered his hand, returning it to his lap. Based on his records, Shadow had an extensive vocabulary on release. 

"Uh, do you have a name? I know I called you Project Blue, but that's not really a name, ha," he said. "... do you have any prefered pronouns?" 

Tails made a vague circular gesture. Project Blue opened their mouth and produced a high pitched, watery gurgle. Tails rocked on his heels, ears pressed flat against his skull. What an awful sound. They wouldn't stand a chance against Dr. Eggman, or even a stiff breeze. He couldn't tear his eyes away from their ribcage or paper thin ears; their nose, a black button, twitched in spasms. 

The computer rang. For the fifth time that week, the Resistance had tried again and again to reach him, each earning a block. Tails clenched his fist and faced the monitor. Project Blue had scurried behind a crate. 

It was Shadow the Hedgehog. Tails scoffed, did they not get the message? He paled to think of what Sonic would think of him now. The call failed, then started up again. Tails looked behind him at Blue, covering their ears from the peels of electronic sound. 

He sighed. He'd have to tell them himself. 

"Computer, initiate call."

Tails had his back turned when Shadow came into view, casting the laboratory red.

"Tails, I didn't expect you to--" 

"Stop calling me." Tails interrupted. He sniffled.

"What? You think just because you're hurting means you can run away?" Shadow said. A voice, unintelligible but familiar, piped up. "Tch, fine. What I mean is, Sonic is alive. You can stop your moping and-- what is that behind you?" 

Tails's heart soared. It couldn't be true! He whirled around, exposing red-rimmed eyes and unwashed fur, but Shadow's attention was elsewhere.

"There's no way! Sonic, Sonic, is he there? Sonic!" 

"Hey, I'm alright little buddy!" Sonic called off screen. 

Tails zipped around his laboratory for the essentials. Toolbox, radio, radar... Project Blue. They had crawled into the center of the lab, staring at Shadow like a patron to a saint. Shadow looked mortified. 

"Tails, what did you do?" he said. "Who is that?" 

"Who's what? I-I have no idea what you're talking about!" Tails stuttered and ushered Project Blue back onto their tube platform. 

"Tails."

"Nothing!" he cried. "Nothing, it's just-- I'll see you soon! Computer, terminate transmission!" 

The connection ended before Shadow could retort. Darkness returned, Tails's chest heavy with conflicting emotion. Everything happened so fast. 

"I'm going to go. You... you stay here, okay Blue?" he said, his hand hovering over the enter key. It'd be more humane to lock them up again, wouldn't it? 

The glass rose, closing with a tight hiss. Pumps clattered and warmed the liquid for reapplication. It was different when encasing a living thing that struggled and feared. 

Tails walked away and turned on his radio. 

"Hey again guys. I'm coming home."


	2. The Ultimate Gift in Life | Daughter

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> NO EDITING x3 WE DIE LIKE MEN!
> 
> I'll uhh.. edit it later. I'm just happy to have finished the damn thing.   
> Might also make the ending stronger. 
> 
> Eh, enjoy!

Shadow the Hedgehog was the Ultimate Lifeform, a being crafted to wield great power, but even he was humbled before Sonic's sheer expertise. Upon his return and the recruitment of a young rookie, the Resistance steadily reclaimed their foothold. It was a constant group effort, unified under Sonic: He was the kind of leader you believed and obeyed, no matter how outrageous the plan. 

Dr. Eggman had tried to divide their ranks with the Phantom Ruby's tangible illusions, but Infinite proved no match for their combined strength. Necks craned to the sky, they watched Infinite lower the sun, oppressed by the inferno. An all-powerful hedgehog's last thoughts should've been of family and mirth-- Shadow could only picture the terrified rat strewn on the floor of Tails's laboratory. He saw them in the blotches of black the light left in his vision. As far as he knew, Tails had never returned to his lab, so what became of them? 

Tails cheered as the sun facade rippled and faded, and Sonic landed with a flourish in front of Infinite. Shadow tuned out the cheesy speech about friendship, teamwork and redemption: Tails's transfixion-- obsession-- with Sonic was in his smile, brighter than Casino Isle. Tails caught his stare, and for a second wore recognition. Time froze for them. Shadow knew it. It didn't take a genius to understand why a scientist with access to black military archives would isolate themself for six months, then suddenly squirrel away their project: Tails did something, no-- made  _ someone _ against strict G.U.N. laws. 

He could be arrested or worse, bringing another Ultimate Lifeform into the world like that and abandoning it. Shadow snarled and curled his fist. An uproar drew him out of his brood; a fist clapped his shoulder and shook him.

"Just like that Eggman to run away, huh?" Rouge said. "What's with you, Shadow? You haven't made that face since..." 

Shadow tucked his chin into his neck, bristling. Rouge followed his stone stare to Tails and pursed her lips.

"You can't be serious." she said. 

"Where does he live." 

Shadow's eyes glowed and his palms shimmered with Chaos. Tails slipped behind the herd of civilians that were now crowd surfing Sonic, who donned a new pair of sunglasses. Rouge cleared her throat. 

"Shadow, maybe we should take it easy. We have been fighting for--"

"I asked where he lived. Is that clear, Rouge?" Shadow snapped. "Location. Now."

Rogue sighed. Shadow was stubborn as a high security lock when he wanted to. She placed a hand on his shoulder, cocking her wings to block them from sight. 

"Only if I can come with. You've drawn enough attention already," she said, nodding to staring stragglers. "It'd make more sense for us to go together." 

Shadow snorted. Even off-duty, Rogue was his perfect foil. He took her hand, squeezing it hard enough to draw a yelp, and teleported. They rode on Chaos like a riptide; a place between reality and diagonal time that was indescribable aside from "violet". The vague consciousness of Rogue brushed against his, hand in hand, mind and body. Mystic Ruins, then. 

Like a caught zipper, they were jerked and spat onto a sandy beach. Shadow held Rogue as she swayed and buckled. 

"I will never get used to that." she breathed. Shadow only grunted, looking up at Tails's laboratory. 

He wasn't sure what he expected, maybe a thin spire of a villain's hovel, but an earthy, humble cottage wasn't it. The watermill burbled, mixing a greenish liquid into the sea. A leak. Shadow crouched by the man-made stream and dipped his finger into it. Like algae, the green clung to his glove, glowing faintly. It was too viscous to be moss, and too thin to be a jellitain mishap. 

Shadow saw Rogue standing in its reflection, her arms akimbo.

"What's going on in that spiky head of yours?" Rogue said. 

"This is no ordinary substance," he began, and strode to the front door. He kicked it in, dust and mold flying in his face. He coughed and squinted into the dark, filthy interior. Stacks of unwashed dishes perched like gargoyles on the counters, and metal cans glinted like eyes in the new light. "You might recognize it from the ARK." 

Rogue followed a generous foot behind, and stuck her fingers in her sensitive nostrils. 

"I'm afraid all I recognize is poor hygiene. I didn't realize Tails was so..." Rogue kicked aside an empty, sticky can of soda. "Gross." 

“Surprised? I’m not. I never trusted that fox.”    
  
Shadow tip-toed around empty cardboard boxes and wrappers littering the floor. The piles undulated in waves, growing taller by the dining table- which was drowned and more of a trash podium- and tapering at a large, bolted door that led into a basement. A cabinet on the far side swung open, followed by a hushed rustle of plastic. He turned to face the cabinet, empty except for cracker crumbs and dust. He could’ve sworn he felt a rush of wind tickle his spines.    
  
Rogue’s expression confirmed his theory: her ears were radars, back erect as she strained to listen. Shadow drew close and brushed his hand against Rogue’s wings. Shadows hung heavy in the clumps of rubbish, providing perfect pockets for traps.    
  
“Rogue?” Shadow whispered. He stared at the bolted door. He saw it move, just a crack.   
  
“Yes, I hear it. Do you think-”    
  
“No, look.” 

He jerked his head towards the basement door. That’s when it slammed shut. Shadow and Rogue looked at each other and understood.    
  
Rogue took flight, leaping over Shadow to work on the door. Trouble was, her theatrics were for nothing: testing the handle revealed that the lock was broken, or nonexistent to begin with. It swung open with a loud shriek that echoed into the dark, spiral staircase below. A figure stooped on the steps and blinked at Rogue. Their wide, reflective eyes were red and piercing, but lacked menace.    
  
They both were still.   
  
“Hello…?” Rogue began, but the figure made a mad dash down the stairs-- it was a wonder how they didn’t tumble headfirst. 

It was Shadow’s turn to act. Shoving Rogue aside, he lit his rocket shoes and tore down the stairway. He reached the laboratory in a blink and narrowly avoided smashing into Tails’s mainframe. Rogue rolled her eyes and followed the blazing light, standing with her arms folded at the bottom of the stairs.    
  
The tech was typical of Tails; speakers, monitors and core processors crowded around a long desk. Empty juice boxes left a sticky film on the keyboards and leaked on to the floor and over the wires. Shadow froze in the center of it all, the grim reserves barely powering the lightstrips overhead. 

An empty glass enclosure, slick with old green residue that faded into a sour rust, stood like a crude statue. Claw prints were etched into it, and towards the bottom, a toothy crack wide enough for someone to crawl through. Shadow dropped to his knees, and shards of glass bit into his skin. The smell of the liquid pricked him; he could taste in the back of his throat, a faint memory like a thumbprint in clay. His eyes snapped to Rogue, then the monitor system. He clenched his jaw like a vice.    
  
“Rogue. Get into his computer,” he said, shakily returning to his feet. “I’m going to look for them.”    
  


“You might not have to,” Rogue said. “Come slowly.”    
  
Shadow crept around Rogue’s left. The figure was so thin, it almost didn’t exist on a three-dimensional plane. They had Rogue’s fingers wrapped in their tiny paws, perched atop the keyboard hanger as though they had no weight. They were a rat, clearly, with a naked, twitchy tail and drooping whiskers. Their fur was a patchy blueish-gray, and lumps of liquid hugged their fur like water in a spider’s web. Their crimson eyes locked with Shadow’s, and time stopped.    
  
His mouth dried up. He gawked, he gaped; he made a pitiful sound Rogue had never heard before. 

“I knew it.” he muttered. 

  
“They look sick,” Rouge paused, and wrapped an arm around the rat’s torso. “They were left here, weren’t they?”    
  
Project Blue allowed it, leaning into her grasp. They were infatuated with Rogue, and pressed against her warm body. Rogue’s wings curled around them as she stroked their back. Shadow watched wordlessly. 

  
“Do you have a name, little one?” Rogue said.    
  
"Stop," Shadow said. "Stop talking."   
  


Shadow held his head, dragging his nails through his quills. His stomach sank to his knees, causing them to slack and buckle as his skull numbed. In the quiet thrum, his ragged breaths were the only sound. His story played out in front of him, Rogue's voice a shallow coo compared to Maria's. She placed Project Blue on Tails's chair and wordlessly tapped into the computer, humming. 

Shadow held his chest, rubbing the rough fur between his fingers. Rogue's song; he could hear it, and the faint squeak of the chair as the rat found out it could spin. Brief bouts of therapy had taught him how to ground when thoughts of Maria sprouted, but like a placid lake, once the stone was cast his mind became a kaleidoscope of guilt. 

Right here, right now, their roles were reversed: he was the one who stumbled upon an experiment, so innocent and bereft of experience. Was this how Maria felt, terrified to taint this blank canvas? 

Their eyes met once more, their head lolling after spinning so fast. And he saw her, Maria, in those dewy eyes, curious and full of sympathy. 

They hopped out of the chair and approached Shadow like an ambling faun to stop in front of him. Unhunched, they were a hand smaller than Shadow, lean and aerodynamic. Shadow crouched, knees popping, and embraced Project Blue. He didn't know why, but told himself this is what he would've wanted. Unconditional love, regardless of creation, belonged to every living creature. That was her wish. 

Rogue observed respectfully, but couldn't hide her playful smirk. Shadow was doting on them now, stroking their velvety head, even as his tears wet their shoulder. Rogue coughed and caught his attention. He gave his trademark glare. 

"Did you find anything?" he sniffed, picking the rat up once more. They maintained their blank expression, but didn't protest. He couldn't keep his eyes off of them.

"As a matter of fact, I did, and it isn't pretty," Rogue said, gesturing to the screen. "I skimmed, but it seems Tails went off the deep end after Sonic's apparent death. He calls them Project Blue, and tried to make another being like him,"

Rogue shuddered to think of the failed trials. She crossed her arms, pacing the length of the desk.

"That didn't happen. Somehow, he got this lab rat to form after accessing black archives. The rest was pretty incomprehensible, mostly about Sonic himself approving of this, the waiting." 

Shadow bowed his head. He flushed with a cocktail of conflicting emotions. Project Blue's wet nose brushed against his muzzle, and his shoulders slacked. He was gripping them too tight, he realized.

"Blue, huh?" Shadow said. "Let's… go home."

"Shadow, wait-- we can't leave the lab like this. There's too much evidence that could be tampered with if he finds out!" 

Rogue was right, as always. Shadow swore under his breath, and felt a prick of shame for doing so in a child's ear. Blue was technically fully grown, but they were still fresh and young. As he adjusted them over his shoulder, he got a brilliant idea.

"Call the Chaotix and put it on my tab, they know how to be secretive," he said. "I'll take Blue home, make sure they're alright." 

"Grown fond of her?" Rogue teased.

Shadow rolled his eyes. "I'm doing my job," he said. "and we don't know what they identify as yet." 

Blue's tail wrapped around his forearm and they eased into his fur, content

"Call it a hunch." Rogue said.

Right, a hunch. Shadow snorted, and gave Rouge one last far-off glance before exiting the cursed basement. Surfacing, he felt a weight lift from his shoulders, greeted by fresh air and sun through the tattered blinds. Faint motes of dust and mold danced around his feet. He sidled across piles of rubbish, readjusting Blue as they went along and squirmed, patting the small of their back. 

Outside, the sky was clear, giving way to the brilliant sapphire ocean. He allowed himself to smile, his eyes and thoughts wandering to the vestiges of the ARK. In the pockmarks of the moon, a papery shadow in the sky, he saw Maria smile, too. Her wish could finally be fulfilled-- he understood now. No matter how many times he saved the Earth, he was left hollow, silently scorned by Maria’s presence. Holding Blue gave him a new surge of purpose: he would be there for them, as she was for him, a living being in need. 

Blue’s yelp pulled him from his reverie. They were scrambling, halfway down his back as they kicked and blubbered. Shadow placed them down immediately, and they locked eyes. Blue’s chest thumped rapidly as they felt the sand underneath them. Panic.    
  
Shadow knelt and collected sand in his palm, before letting it run through his fingers. To his surprise, the rat mimicked him, eyes wide.    
  
“It’s sand,” Shadow said. He clocked himself internally; on a logical level, Blue wouldn’t know what it was, but on the other hand, he didn’t want to infantilize them. “My name is Shadow, and that woman you met was Rogue. I’m-- we’re here to rescue you.”

He bit his lip as they stared blankly. He knew he sounded condescending, and hated himself for it. But how could he, a sixty year old hedgehog, not look down on them? By all intents, physically, they were a full grown adult, but had the experience of a toddler. They would learn quickly, and every action he took from henceforth would be critical to their development. This terrified him.    
  
Then they held up their hand and splayed their palms, like a mime in a glass box.    
  
“Blue.” they said.    
  
“Shadow,” Shadow replied, placing his gloved hand over theirs. He felt a swell of emotions, puffing his chest as their fingers laced together. “Let’s go home. Don’t let go.”   
  
He didn’t expect Chaos Control to come so fluidly, but together, they melted into the chaos stream. Blue held fast; even without a corporeal form, he could feel their anxious grip, yet joy and curiosity leapt from them in jolts of yellow and green. He guided them to Central City, where even the war couldn’t slow its spread of commerce and sensationalism. His flat, located on the 30th floor of a shore-side complex. Home.   
  
They materialized in a flash of crimson, rifling the paperwork propped on his desk. The lights were off, but the space was modest and sparse, with few furnishings. He owned a hand-me-down couch, a stool in the kitchen, and a one-bedroom suite. Working with the Resistance and G.U.N. he hadn’t had much time to make it truly his.    
  
Blue let go and fell on their rump. Their wide ears worked like radars, attuning to the rush of the city and neighbors all around. Shadow waited patiently for them to wobble to their knees.    
  
“Shadow.” they said in a small voice.    
  
“Blue?”    
  
Shadow chuckled as they made a face. Then, in a flash, they rocketed towards the window. Skyscrapers and streets were a major change from a crowded, dark basement. Shadow crept into the kitchen as he spoke, wearing a bemused smile. Blue gasped and thunked their head against the window.   
  
“It isn’t much, but this is my home. We’re in Central City, and I know it’s a lot to get used to, but--” Shadow was cut off when Blue was nose-to-nose with him. They had teleported, and bore into him with their startling red eyes.    
  
“But?” Blue prodded.   
  
“B-But it’s… nice. To experience people. Each home, each light, is an individual life playing out, and you can choose whether or not to be a positive or negative influence. It’s…” Shadow trailed off. He scooted to the left and reached over their head to grab a bag of chips. That sinking feeling returned, along with the restless strain in his knees.    
  
He chose to live here, and not just for its convenient vicinity with his therapist: he wanted to know what it was like to rough it as a human, and all the nuances of apartment life in the big city from the stress of rent to noisy neighbors. It kept him on his toes, and reminded him to stay connected in the moment. He hadn’t realized he’d begun pacing, crinkling the bag in his hands.    
  
Blue followed him and mimicked his every movement.    
  


Doubts crept like a spider in the roses. He wasn’t ready for this kind of parental responsibility, much less teaching another ultimate lifeform how to live. They could barely speak and yet knew how to teleport, or at least run faster than the naked eye could follow. 

He turned sharply on his heel and collided with Blue. 

  
  
He dove to catch them. His chin collided with the hardwood floor, followed by a rush of wind and a deafening pop. Chips clattered on the floor while a very frightened Blue cowered on top of the refrigerator. 

  
  
Shadow clutched his head and curled into himself. The stimulation was too much. Today had exhausted him, and his hardened exterior, knowing it was home, began to crack. What would Maria have done for him, if he were Blue? He could barely keep himself patched together.    


  
And the knocking at his door. He wanted to scream. 

  
  
“Shadow, dear, is everything alright?” 

  
  
That voice, sweet and elderly. Of course Mrs. Daisy would be up at this hour, fretting about him day and night. Before he could respond, Blue had zipped to the door and opened it, eliciting a surprised cry from the old woman. 

  
  
The scene before her was concerning, without context: a grungy, naked rat stood before her while Shadow, looking worse for wear, was half curled in his kitchen and surrounded by chips. 

  
  
“Now who is-- oh!”    
  
Blue returned to Shadow’s side in a defensive posture. Mrs. Daisy strode in, unperturbed but painted with concern. 

  
  
“I’m fine, Mrs. Daisy, please don’t be alarmed,” Shadow said. “It’s just… been a long day, and this one learned how to open bags. I-I think.”    


  
She’s expression softened upon getting a good look at Blue. 

  
  
“And who is this? You didn’t tell me you had family, Shadow!” Daisy said. “She’s adorable, oh heavens, look at her!” 

  
  
Shadow held up a hand to pause the conversation. Gathering his strength, he sat upright, before Blue plopped in his lap. His mouth was dry. 

  
  
“Y..yeah. This is Blue. She’s… I’m exhausted, Mrs. Daisy. Could we talk about this tomorrow?”    
  


But Mrs. Daisy wasn’t hearing it. She ushered them both to their feet.    
  
“No, no! You both need a meal, I can tell! I’ll fix you some leftovers and you can tell me all about her and your saving the world and all that.” she grinned. Shadow always found her endearing.    
  
Blue’s hand found his again. She had to have understood, eyes glittering with confidence and surety. He looked from her, to the mess of chips and back to Mrs. Daisy.   
  
“I think she’d-- we’d like that.” 


End file.
